It's a good thing the Emily Morgan Hotel renovates its building only every few decades. Otherwise, its guests would get not a minute's sleep from the resulting revelry. On the evening of Jan. 31, that included The Rick Cavender Band playing at full tilt, fireworks blasting from the roof, a re-enactment of the Battle of the Alamo, food-filled chuck wagons, dancing and amazed out-of-towners and homeless people watching through a fence.

And this was just the outdoor celebration.

In the new limestone lobby, a swarm of humanity heaved to a buffet line, martini and wine bars, to elevators zooming to rooms on display, and to the basement for palm readings, chair massages and margaritas — a taste of the Psychic Happy Hours held Thursdays, general manager Chris Johnson explained. He didn't need to tell me about the ghosts who share rooms with guests, surely the inspiration for the readings.

Indeed she is beautiful. Has she been to San Antonio before? For her whole life, she said, as she often visits friends here.

After the Mexican army and Texians finished shooting each other (despite enough jammed guns to have called off the slaughter of 1836, had their weapons so malfunctioned), performer Kevin Evans sang “The Yellow Rose of Texas.” An appropriate choice, since the song's heroine is Emily Morgan. It supposedly was she who distracted Santa Anna during the Battle of San Jacinto.

The party throng included members of historical associations as well as people who had no idea why they'd been invited. Among them were Lynn and Sam Stahl, Carolyn Hoelscher, Brook Rosser, Jan and Ted Davis, Annalisa Peace, Karen Evans and Milton Porterfield, Maggie Flannery and Sherry O'Kelley. Maureen Shearer fulfilled a wish by joining Cavender on stage to play tambourine on “I'm a Believer.” Her husband, Bob Shearer, and hundreds of people watched.

“I was nervous, I had never been on stage, but it was so exciting,” she said. “I can see why people do it.”

Let's salute Emily Morgan and Maureen Shearer for pure boldness.

St. Mark's restoration

Another historical landmark was rededicated soon thereafter, but in quite a different manner: St. Mark's Episcopal Church, whose cornerstone was laid by Gen. Robert E. Lee, celebrated its historical restoration in a packed service last Sunday.

Mayor Julián Castro spoke to the congregation about “the spirit” of the people of San Antonio. “You can sneeze in a restaurant and two or three people say, 'God bless you.'” He conveyed to St. Mark's “the gratitude of a city” and his confidence the church will celebrate another 150 years. Had it not been Episcopal, the church would have resounded with “Amen!”

Opera time in Austin

That afternoon, as many in San Antonio were cheering for the Ravens or 49ers, a few of us were watching servants outwit their masters in “The Marriage of Figaro,” performed by Austin Lyric Opera at the Long Center in Austin. The San Antonio Opera Guild has chartered a bus to performances for years, thanks to organizer Mary Jane Howe and Roger Bessey, who brings wine to fuel the post-opera patter.

During an intermission, Mike Davis, father of Olympic swimmer Josh Davis, introduced his sons Sam and Will, with wife Kara Davis. He couldn't introduce his daughter, Tynan, though we'd been watching her all afternoon. A mezzo-soprano, she performed the tricky male role of Cherubino, a love-plagued page.